The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1887-09-13
OVER THE OCEAN.
A Horrible Disaster at Exeter,
England.
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY LIVES LOST

took fire this evening during n performance of
"Romany Rye" The occupants of the pit,
after an awful struggle, escaped, but many OF
them were greatly injured. There was only
one exit from the gallery, and the rush there
was terrific. Scores were trodden under foot
and suffocated. Fire escapes were brought TO
the window and many inside were rescued.
Sixty corpses have been removed The in
! jured survivors were sent to the hospital. The
mortalitys estimated at 100.
The structure burned was the Theater Royal.
1t was built after the latest designs, and was
deliberately fitted being considered one of the
| prettiest III the kingdom. There was full
| house tonight, and everything was all right
until the end of the third act, at half-past ten,
when a drop scene fell and in q moment the
whole stage was
MASS OF FIRE.
| Wild panic ensUed. Occupants of the stalls,
| pit and dress circle escaped after dreadful
crushing, many being badly bruised. The ac
| tors and actresses were in their dressing rooms
when the fire began and all escaped. The fire
originated i'll the flies and spread rapidly,
| filing the theater with a dense smoke. Oc-
cupants of the upper circle and gallery rushed
| tolthe windows screaming frantcally and many
| jumped from the windows and were injured
| and others were rescued with the aid of lad
| ders from the verandas. Tho fire blazcd
| fercely, lighting up the whole city. People
were seen iioclling to the scene in thousands,
| nqulring for friends
The scene inside the theater when the fire
! broke out was an awful one. Some men i'm
! plored the audience to be cool, but it was inn
| possible to check the frantic rush. The thea
| ter hose was brought into use i'll a few minutes,
| but the water had little effect on the flames
The actors and actresses were taken from Win
| dOws with the aid OF ladders. They lost every
| thing except what they wore at the time. Up
to the present time
ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY BODIES
have been recovered They are almost unre-
cosnizable. Thirty injured survivors have been
| taken to the hospitals Fire burned through
| ont the night. Search for the bodies proceeds
slowly. In many cases every shred of clothing
| is burned Off and the bodies look
| black and raw. There are various
| reports as to the origin of the fire. 1t is only
certain that the flames broke out in the scene
| shifters' department. The fire brigade arrived
; five minutes after the breaking out of the
fames but the efforts OF the firemen were
without effect. There were several thrilling
| rescues. A majority of the victims were men
and boys. About thirty women were burned.
| When the fire started a drop scene was low
cred to prevent the draught. Some of the
actors opened a door to escape, causing the fire
| to burst through the drop scene and TO ignite
| the gallery. The flames overlook people who
were wedged in an immovabe mass and
| ROASTED THEM TO DEATH,
| and many who were rescued alive died soon
| after being brought out of the burning build
! ing The occupants of the dress circle escaped
without serious harm.
LONDON, September GA telegram from
Exeter at o'clock this morning, says that
| the fire is under control. Only the walls of
the structure are standing. People, distracted
with anxiety, are wandering about the streets
in the neighborhood of the theater in search
of friends, who attended last nights perform
ance. The hospitals are besieged by anxious
inquirers for friends. Twenty badly burn
persons, who were admitted to the hospitals,
i. 81,
The stairway leading to the gallery
was literally packedwith bodies, while
at the head Of the stairs there were
scores of others piled one on top of
| other unfortunate victims who had rushed to
the door when the alarm was given, but found
the stairway blocked and all means of escape
cut off. In a short time the flames bad reached
them, and they suffered horrible death.
In many cases father and mother
both persisted, and numerous children
are thus left without means of sup
port. Several of the bodies were burned so
that only a small cinder remained. The num-
| Der of persons severely injured is sixty.
Two stalls of stable belonging
to a hotel adjacent to the theater
are filled with remains that it has been inn
impossible to identify. Most of the killed were
persisted. A mother, father and
child were found clasped in one embrace. All
three had been burned to death. In nearly
every case the clothing had been torn off the
victims. From many of the bodies limbs were
missing, and the remains showed that they
had been wrenched Off Several whole fami-
lies of from two to five persons lost their lives
The scene shjfter says the fire
originated among some ..gauze, which in
| some way became ignited. The flames spread
to the scenery, of which the stage was I'M
| usually full, owing to preparations for the
| production of a pantomime.
| LONDON, September 8-The letter contain
| ing the invitation to Mr.. Gladstone to attend
| the ppDtpppi1l celebration of tba A nnripan
constitution at Philadelphia was dated June
| "a, and was signed by Messrs. Kasson, Little
| Carson and Cochrane, for the committee. Mr..
| Gladstone was invited as the guest of the COM
| mittee, and he was informed by the gentlemen
who conveyed to him the invitation that it was
| the only one sent to any person not an Ameri-
can citizen or an accredited diplomat, the ex-
ception in his case being intended as an ex-
| press recognition of the historical ties which
| bound great Britain and America before the
| declaration of independence.
He was also assured that he would be al
| lowed to make whatever arrangements he
| pleased, and would be entertained in America
as no man has been since the visit of General
| Lafayette.
Mr. Gladstone, on July 20, made reply to
| the letter, and assured the committee of the
great honor he felt in receiving an invitation to
! the celebration of the centenary of the
| American constitution. His letter continues:
The attractions of the invitation are enhanced to
me by the circumstances that have always regard
ed that constitution as the m )st remarkable work
| known 70 modern times, to have been produced by
the human intellect at single stroke, so to speak
| in its application to political affairs. The invitation
is companied b. every acc ejsory that even Ameri
! can hospitality o I'D devise, Had tic real Opt
in the case could not but 0ccept but the limitation
0 my strength Gnd time and the incessant pressure
| of enc menis make me too well aware that
| have Ie So far as l can see, the whole small
resi1us 0fuctivity at my command will be dedicated
| to the great work at home.
| / regard the Irish question as most urgent ami
the most fun Of promise Of beneficial results 10 my
country that have ever been engaged in. / ought,
perhaps, to add that, viewing the iealousies preya-
| lent in England it is doubtful whether they might
! not be stimulated were to accept the distinction
| you offer me, which is not less signal than unde-
served The first o these reasons however, compels
| me to decline the most fattering proposal | have
| ever received ] shall watch with profound inter
| est the proceedings Of your celebration, when you
! will look back upon century Of natOna! advance
| ment that Is without parallel in history and look
! forward TO its probable continuance upon a still
| larger scale
That you and your children may be enabled by
the help Of the Almighty 10 wOrthiy meet the acct-
mutation Of the high duties and RESPONSIBILITIES pro-
! pOrtOned 20 the ever growing power, will be, am
| confident, the prayer Of your kinsmen here who
| hope, nay he. eve, that the moral relations be.
| tween the several portions OF one race wis siy
destined 70 acquire increasing harmony and close
| ness Your obliged and faithful servant,
w. l.. GLADSTONE,